Do I need an MRI or CT scan for back pain?
What different spine scans can show, why imaging is not always the first step, and how to prepare for a useful discussion of your results.
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Explore articles and practical guides about symptoms, imaging, treatment, and recovery—with sources you can read for yourself.
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Better questions. Clearer answers.
From preparing for an appointment to understanding surgical research, find a guide for the questions on your mind.
The CORUS-LX lumbar fusion trial: the questions researchers are asking
Dr. Huntsman’s documented participation in a 2026 trial, the difference between a study announcement and results, and what patients should ask about clinical research.
Read articleIs it sciatica or ordinary back pain?
How leg pain, numbness, and weakness fit into the sciatica picture—and what to tell your clinician when symptoms travel beyond your back.
Read articleSingle-position spine surgery: what the 55-case study explored
Why surgeons study positioning during lumbar fusion, what Dr. Huntsman’s published series measured, and which recovery questions still require separate evidence.
Read articleDoes a herniated disc always need surgery?
Why many disc problems begin with nonsurgical care, what can change the recommendation, and how to evaluate an operation when it is discussed.
Read articleWhat Dr. Huntsman’s first 100 robotic cases actually tell us
How to read the published screw-placement study, understand its 99% figure, and distinguish a technical result from a patient’s overall recovery.
Read articleWhy can spinal stenosis make standing and walking difficult?
Understand lumbar spinal narrowing, the symptoms worth tracking, and how clinicians decide between nonsurgical treatment and a surgical discussion.
Read articleThe St. Mark’s robotics milestone—and the team behind the technology
A documented hospital milestone offers a starting point for understanding what patients should ask about the people, planning, and follow-up behind spine surgery.
Read articleCan a neck problem cause arm numbness or balance changes?
The difference between a pinched nerve and spinal cord symptoms, and why changes in hand function or walking deserve a clear clinical assessment.
Read articleDr. Huntsman’s early role in robotic spine surgery
What the 2017 ExcelsiusGPS launch tells us about Dr. Huntsman’s experience—and how to ask useful questions about robotic assistance today.
Read articleDisc replacement or spinal fusion: how is the choice made?
Understand the different goals of these procedures, why neck and lower-back decisions differ, and what determines whether motion preservation is appropriate.
Read articleWhat does minimally invasive spine surgery actually mean?
Separate the surgical approach from the operation itself, and understand what smaller incisions can—and cannot—tell you about treatment and recovery.
Read articleWhat nonsurgical options can help with back pain?
How activity, rehabilitation, medication, and selected procedures fit into a practical plan—and how to tell whether that plan is helping.
Read articleShould I get a second opinion before spine surgery?
What a second opinion can clarify, which records to bring, and how to compare different recommendations without turning the decision into a vote.
Read articleHow long does recovery from spine surgery take?
Why recovery depends on the exact operation, which milestones to discuss, and how to plan for home, work, and follow-up without relying on a generic calendar.
Read articleMake sense of your next step.
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